Identification of the Drudgery-reducing Farm and Household Technologies: A Sociological Analysis

Description

Page: 597-602

Meenu Singh and Praveen Kumar (Department of Sociology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

Technology, a vital element within any production process, does not function in isolation from the societal values and ideologies that justify the subordinate status of women in society. Its impact is not uniform, and it affects men and women in distinct ways. The intricate interplay between technology and socio-economic systems presents a complex landscape when viewed through the lens of women. New technologies have frequently displaced women from their traditional sources of employment. Even when they gain access to improved job opportunities in sectors like electronics or export-oriented industries, their roles are often confined to a limited spectrum of occupations and skill sets. Women tend to bear the adverse consequences of technological advancements for various reasons (Ahuja, 1999). The study was carried out in two distinct cultural zones, namely, Hisar from the Bagar zone and Mahendragarh from the Ahirwal zone. A total of 320 rural farm women were included in the study, selected through a random process from the Hisar I, Hisar II, and Mahendragarh, Kanina Blocks. A comprehensive set of 80 labor-saving technologies was compiled from various sources, including literature, input from farm scientists, insights from farmers, and feedback from farm women. It was found that scope of agricultural knowledge & technologies for women farmers is increasing gradually. There are many technologies developed and standardized for agriculture by the National Agricultural Research System.